1887

Microbiology Society logo

Volume 134, Issue 7

A Numerical Classification of the Genus Free

Abstract

Three hundred and sixty-eight strains of aerobic, endospore-forming bacteria which included type and reference cultures of and environmental isolates were studied. Overall similarities of these strains for 118 unit characters were determined by the S, S and D coefficients and clustering achieved using the UPGMA algorithm. Test error was within acceptable limits. Six cluster-groups were defined at 70% S, which corresponded to 69% S and 48-57% S. Groupings obtained with the three coefficients were generally similar but there were some changes in the definition and membership of cluster-groups and clusters, particularly with the S coefficient.

The strains were distributed among 31 major (4 or more strains), 18 minor (2 or 3 strains) and 30 single-member clusters at the 83% S level. Most of these clusters can be regarded as taxospecies. The heterogeneity of several species, including and , has been indicated and the species status of several taxa of hitherto uncertain validity confirmed. Thus on the basis of the numerical phenetic and appropriate (published) molecular genetic data, it is proposed that the following names be recognized; (Batchelor) nom. rev., (Smith ) comb. nov., (Prickett) nom. rev., (Larkin & Stokes) nom. rev. and (Gottheil) nom. rev. Other phenetically well-defined taxospecies included “”, “”, “”, “” and three clusters of environmental isolates related to and previously described as “ intermediates”. Future developments in the light of the numerical phenetic data are discussed.

  • Received:
  • Revised:
  • Published Online:
© Society for General Microbiology 1988
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-134-7-1847
1988-07-01
2024-04-19
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/micro/134/7/mic-134-7-1847.html?itemId=/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-134-7-1847&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Baillie A., Walker P. D. 1968; Enzymes of thermophilic aerobic spore-forming bacteria. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 31:114–119
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Batchelor M. D. 1919; Aerobic, spore-bearing bacteria in the intestinal tract of children. Journal of Bacteriology 4:23–34
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Berkeley R. C. W., Goodfellow M.editors 1981 The Aerobic Endospore-forming Bacteria: Classification and Identification London & New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Boeyé A., Aerts M. 1976; Numerical taxonomy of Bacillus isolates from North Sea sediments. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 26:427–441
     [Google Scholar]
  5. Bonde G. J. 1975; The genus Bacillus. An experiment with cluster analysis. Danish Medical Bulletin 22:41–61
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Bonde G. J. 1976; The marine Bacillus. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 41:vi–vii
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Castellani A. 1954; Observations sur quelques ulcérations de la jambe cosmopolites et tropicale: ulcus varicosom et ulcus varicosoides; macroulcus perstans; ulcus tropicum; ulcus veldis, ulcus pyogenicum; ulcus tropicaloides. Minerva dermatologica 29:1–40
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Castellani A. 1955; A brief note on Bacillus cascainensis(= Krusella cascainensis Cast. 1954), its taxonomic position. Giornale di batteriologia e immunologia 48:272–273
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Claus D., Berkeley R. C. W. 1986; Genus Bacillus Cohn 1872. In Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology 2 pp. 1105–1140 Edited by Sneath P. H. A. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins;
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Cowan S. T. 1974 Cowan and Steel’s Manual for the Identification of Medical Bacteria, 2nd edn.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Delaporte B., Sasson A. 1967; Étude des bactéries des sols arides du Maroc: Bacillus maroccanus n. sp. Comptes Rendus de l’Academie des Sciences D264:2344–2346
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Durand M., Pichinoty F., Job C., Mandel M. 1979; Nutrition carbonée et étude taxonomique de Bacillus subtilis et Bacillus licheniformis. Canadian Journal of Microbiology 25:491–498
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Fahmy F., Flossdorf J., Claus D. 1985; The DNA base composition of type strains of the genus Bacillus. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 6:60–65
     [Google Scholar]
  14. Frazier N. C. 1926; A method for the detection of changes in gelatin due to bacteria. Journal of Infectious Diseases 39:302–309
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Gibson T. 1934; An investigation of the B. pasteuri group. I. Description of strains isolated from soils and manures. Journal of Bacteriology 28:295–311
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Gibson T. 1935; The urea-decomposing microflora of soils. I. Description and classification of the organisms. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abteilung II 92:364–380
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Gibson T., Gordon R. E. 1974; Bacillus Cohn 1872. In Bergey’s Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 8th edn.. pp. 529–550 Buchanan R. E., Gibbons N. E. Edited by Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins;
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Gibson T., Topping L. E. 1938; Further studies of the aerobic spore-forming bacilli. Proceedings of the Society of Agricultural Bacteriologists43–44
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Gilbert R. J. 1979; Bacillus cereus gastroenteritis. In Food-borne Infections and Intoxications, 2nd edn.. pp. 495–518 Edited by Riemann H., Bryan F. L. New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Gonzalez J. M.Jr Brown B. J., Carlton B. C. 1982; Transfer of Bacillus thuringiensis plasmids coding for δ-endotoxin among strains of B. thuringiensis and B. cereus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 79:6951–6955
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Goodfellow M., Cross T. 1984; Classification. In Biology of the Actinomycetes pp. 7–164 Goodfellow M., Mordarski M., Williams S. T. Edited by London & Orlando: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Goodfellow M., Dickinson C. H. 1985; Delineation and description of microbial populations using numerical methods. In Computer-assisted Bacterial Systematics, pp. 164–226 Goodfellow M., Jones D., Priest F. G. Edited by Orlando & London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Goodfellow M., Williams E. 1986; New strategies for the selective isolation of industrially important bacteria. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Reviews 4:213–262
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Gordon R. E. 1966; Some criteria for the recognition of Nocardia madurae (Vincent) Blanchard. Journal of General Microbiology 45:355–364
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Gordon R. E. 1968; The taxonomy of soil bacteria. In The Ecology of Soil Bacteria, pp. 293–321 Gray T. R. G., Parkinson D. Edited by Liverpool: Liverpool University Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Gordon R. E. 1981; One hundred and seven years of the genus Bacillus. In The Aerobic Endospore-forming Bacteria: Classification and Identification, pp. 1–15 Berkeley R. C. W., Goodfellow M. Edited by London & New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  27. Gordon R. E., Haynes W. C., Pang C.H.-N. 1973 The Genus Bacillus (Agricultural Handbook no. 427). Washington DC: United States Department of Agriculture;
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Gordon R. E., Hyde J. L., Moore J. A.Jr 1977; Bacillus firmus-Bacillus lentus: a series or one species?. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 58:256–262
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Gottheil O. 1901; Botanische Beschreibung einiger Bodenbakterien. Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abteilung II 7:680–691
     [Google Scholar]
  30. Gyllenberg H. G., Laine J. J. 1971; Numerical approach to the taxonomy of psychrophilic bacteria. Annales medicinae experimentalis et biologiae fenniae 49:62–66
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Hobbs G., Cross T. 1983; Identification of endospore-forming bacteria. In The Bacterial Spore 2 pp. 50–78 Hurst A., Gould G. W. Edited by London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  32. Hsu S. C., Lockwood J. L. 1975; Powdered chitin agar as a selective medium for enumeration of actinomycetes in water and soil. Applied Microbiology 29:422–426
     [Google Scholar]
  33. Hunger W., Claus D. 1981; Taxonomic studies on Bacillus megaterium and on agarolytic strains. In The Aerobic Endospore-forming Bacteria: Classification and Identification pp. 217–239 Berkeley R. C. W., Goodfellow M. Edited by London & New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  34. Klaushofer H., Hollaus F. 1970; Zur Taxonomie der hochtthermophilen in Zuckerfabrikssaften vorkommenden, aeroben Sporenbildner. Zeitschrift für Zuckerindustrie 20:465–470
     [Google Scholar]
  35. Koch A. 1888; Ueber Morphologie und Entwicklungsgeschichte einiger endosporer Bacterienformen. Botanische Zeitung 46:277–287
     [Google Scholar]
  36. Kramer J. M., Turnbull P. C. B., Munshi G., Gilbert R. J. 1982; Identification and characterization of Bacillus cereus and other Bacillus species associated with foods and food poisoning. In Methods for the Isolation and Identification of Food Poisoning Organisms pp. 261–268 Corry J. E. L., Roberts D., Skinner F. A. Edited by London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Krych V. K., Johnson J. L., Yousten A. A. 1980; Deoxyribonucleic acid homologies among strains of Bacillus sphaericus. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 30:476–484
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Laine J. J. 1970; Studies on psychrotrophic bacteria of food origin. Annales academiae scientiarum fenniae series A, IV biologica 169:1–36
     [Google Scholar]
  39. Larkin J. M., Stokes J. L. 1967; Taxonomy of psychrophilic strains of Bacillus. Journal of Bacteriology 94:889–895
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Logan N., Berkeley R. C. W. 1981; Classification and identification of the genus Bacillus using API tests. In The Aerobic Endospore-forming Bacteria: Classification and Identification pp. 106–140 Berkeley R. C. W., Goodfellow M. Edited by London & New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Logan N. A., Capel B. J., Melling J., Berkeley R. C. W. 1979; Distinction between emetic and other strains of Bacillus cereus using the API system and numerical methods. FEMS Microbiology Letters 5:373–375
     [Google Scholar]
  42. Macdonell M. T., Colwell R. R. 1985; The contribution of numerical taxonomy to the systemat- ics of Gram-negative bacteria. In Computer-assisted Bacterial Systematics, pp. 107–136 Goodfellow M., Jones D., Priest F. G. Edited by Orlando & London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  43. Martin D. F., Priest F. G., Todd C., Goodfellow M. 1980; Distribution of β-glucanases within the genus Bacillus. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 40:1136–1138
     [Google Scholar]
  44. Mishustin E. N., Tepper E. Z. 1948; Description of a new species of bacterium, Bac. longissimus. Microbiologiya 17:413–414
     [Google Scholar]
  45. Morgan F., Adams K. R., Priest F. G. 1979; A cultural method for the detection of pullulan-degrading enzymes and its application to the genus Bacillus. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 46:291–294
     [Google Scholar]
  46. Nakamura L. K. 1984a; Bacillus amylolyticussp. nov., nom. rev., Bacillus lautussp. nov., nom. rev., Bacillus pabuli sp. nov., nom. rev. and Bacillus validus sp. nov., nom. rev. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 34:224–226
     [Google Scholar]
  47. Nakamura L. K. 1984b; Bacillus psychrophilus sp. nov. nom. rev. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 34:121–123
     [Google Scholar]
  48. Nakamura L. K. 1987; Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness of lactose-positive Bacillus subtilis strains and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 37:444–445
     [Google Scholar]
  49. Nakamura L. K., Swezey J. 1983a; Taxonomy of Bacillus circulans Jordan 1890: base composition and reassociation of deoxyribonucleic acid. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 33:46–52
     [Google Scholar]
  50. Nakamura L. K., Swezey J. 1983b; Deoxyribonucleic acid relatedness of Bacillus circulans Jordan 1890 strains. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 33:703–708
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Neide E. 1904; Botanische Beschreibung einiger sporenbildenden Bakterien. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abteilung II, 12:1–32
     [Google Scholar]
  52. O’Donnell A. G., Norris J. R., Berkeley R. C. W., Claus D., Kaneko T., Logan N. A., Nozaki R. 1980; Characterization of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens by pyrolysis gas-liquid chromatography and by deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-DNA hybridization, biochemical tests and API systems. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 30:448–459
     [Google Scholar]
  53. Plchinoty F. H., De Barjac H., Mandel M., Asselineau J. 1983; Description of Bacillus azotoformans sp. nov. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 33:660–662
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Parry J. M., Turnbull P. C. B., Gibson J. R. 1983 A Colour Atlas of Bacillus Species London: Wolfe Medical Publications Ltd;
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Prickett P. S. 1928; Thermophilic and thermoduric microorganisms with special reference to species isolated from milk. Descriptions of spore forming types. New York State Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 147:1–22
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Priest F. G. 1981; DNA homology in the genus Bacillus. In The Aerobic Endospore-forming Bacteria: Classification and Identification pp. 33–57 Berkeley R. C. W., Goodfellow M. Edited by London & New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Priest F. G., Goodfellow M., Todd C. 1981; The genus Bacillus: a numerical analysis. In The Aerobic Endospore-forming Bacteria: Classification and Identification pp. 91–103 Berkeley R. C. W., Goodfellow M. Edited by London & New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  58. Priest F. G., Goodfellow M., Shute L. A., Berkeley R. C. W. 1987; Bacillus amyloliquefaciens sp. nov. nom. rev. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 37:69–71
     [Google Scholar]
  59. Proom H., Knight B.C.J.G. 1955; The minimum nutritional requirements of some species in the genus Bacillus. Journal of General Microbiology 13:474–480
     [Google Scholar]
  60. Ruger H. J. 1983; Differentiation of Bacillus globisporus, Bacillus marinus comb, nov., Bacillus aminovorans and Bacillus insolitus. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 33:157–161
     [Google Scholar]
  61. Seki T., Oshima T., Oshima Y. 1975; Taxonomic study of Bacillus by deoxyribonucleic acid-deoxyribonucleic acid hybridization and interspecific transformation. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 25:258–270
     [Google Scholar]
  62. Seki T., Chung C.-K., Mikami H., Oshima Y. 1978; Deoxyribonucleic acid homology and taxonomy of the genus Bacillus. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 28:182–189
     [Google Scholar]
  63. Seki T., Minoda M., Yagi J.-I., Oshima H. Y. 1983; Deoxyribonucleic acid reassociation between strains of Bacillus firmus, Bacillus lentus and intermediate strains. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 33:401–403
     [Google Scholar]
  64. Sharp R. J., Bown K. J., Atkinson A. 1980; Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of some thermophilic species of Bacillus. Journal of General Microbiology 117:201–210
     [Google Scholar]
  65. Sierra G. 1957; A simple method for the detection of lipolytic activity of microorganisms and some observations on the influence of the contact between cells and fatty substrates. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 23:15–22
     [Google Scholar]
  66. Skerman V. B. D., Mcgowan Y., Sneath P. H. A. 1980; Approved lists of bacterial names. International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology 30:225–420
     [Google Scholar]
  67. Smith N. R., Gordon R. E., Clark F. E. 1946 Aerobic Mesophilic Sporeforming Bacteria (United States Department of Agriculture Miscellaneous Publication no. 559). Washington, DC: USDA;
     [Google Scholar]
  68. Smith N. R., Gordon R. E., Clark F. E. 1952 Aerobic Sporeforming Bacteria (United States Department of Agriculture Monograph no. 16) Washington, DC: USDA;
     [Google Scholar]
  69. Sneath P. H. A., Johnson R. 1972; The influence on numerical taxonomic similarities of errors in microbiological tests. Journal of General Microbiology 72:377–392
     [Google Scholar]
  70. Sneath P. H. A., Sokal R. R. 1973 Numerical Taxonomy. The Principles and Practice of Numerical Classification San Francisco: W. H. Freeman;
     [Google Scholar]
  71. Somerville H. J., Jones M. L. 1972; DNA competition experiments within the Bacillus cereus group of bacilli. Journal of General Microbiology 73:257–261
     [Google Scholar]
  72. Stackebrandt E., Woese C. R. 1981; The evolution of prokaryotes. In Molecular and Cellular Aspects of Microbial Evolution, pp. 1–31 Carlile M. J., Collins J. F., Moseley B. E. B. Edited by London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  73. Stackebrandt E., Ludwig W., Weizenegger M., Dorn S., Mcgill T. J., Fox G. E., Woese C. R., Schubert W., Schleiffer K.-M. 1987; Comparative 16S rRNA oligonucleotide analyses and murein types of round-spore-forming bacilli and non-spore-forming relatives. Journal of General Microbiology 133:2523–2529
     [Google Scholar]
  74. Turnbull P. C. B., Jørgensen K., Kramer J. M., Gilbert R. J., Parry J. M. 1979; Severe clinical conditions associated with Bacillus cereus and the apparent involvement of exotoxins. Journal of Clinical Pathology 32:289–293
     [Google Scholar]
  75. Walker P. D., Wolf J. 1971; Taxonomy of Bacillus stearothermophilus. In Spore Research 1971 pp. 247–262 Barker A. N., Gould G. W., Wolf J. Edited by London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  76. Welker N. E., Campbell L. L. 1967; Unrelatedness of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus subtilis. Journal of Bacteriology 94:1124–1130
     [Google Scholar]
  77. Werner W. 1933; Botanische Beschreibung hau- figer am Buttersaureablau beteiligter sporenbildner Baktierspezies. Zentralblatt für Bakteriologie, Parasitenkunde, Infectionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abteilung II 87:446–475
     [Google Scholar]
  78. Williams S. T., Goodfellow M., Alderson G., Wellington E. M. H., Sneath P. H. A., Sackin M. J. 1983; Numerical classification of Streptomyces and related genera. Journal of General Microbiology 129:1743–1813
     [Google Scholar]
  79. Williams S. T., Vickers J. C., Goodfellow M. 1985; Application of new theoretical concepts to the identification of streptomyces. In Computer-assisted Bacterial Systematics, pp. 289–306 Goodfellow M., Jones D., Priest F. G. Edited by London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  80. Wlshart D. 1978 Clustan User Manual. Version 1C, Release 2, 3rd edn. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Program Unit;
     [Google Scholar]
  81. Wolf J., Barker A. N. 1968; The genus Bacillus-.aids to the identification of its species. In Identification Methods for Microbiologists, Part B, pp. 93–109 Gibb M., Shapton D. A. Edited by London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  82. Wolf J., Chowdbury M. S. U. 1971; Taxonomy of B. circulans and B. stearothermophilus. In Spore Research 1971 pp. 349–350 Barker A. N., Gould G. W., Wolf J. Edited by London: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
  83. Wolf J., Sharp R. 1981; Taxonomic and related aspects of thermophiles within the genus Bacillus. In The Aerobic Endospore-forming Bacteria: Classification and Identification pp. 251–296 Berkeley R. C. W., Goodfellow M. Edited by London & New York: Academic Press;
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-134-7-1847
Loading
A Numerical Classification of the Genus Bacillus
Microbiology 134, 1847 (1988); https://doi.org/10.1099/00221287-134-7-1847
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-134-7-1847
/content/journal/micro/10.1099/00221287-134-7-1847
Loading

Data & Media loading...

Most cited Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error